Rail-fitting.



PATENTED APR. 25, 1905.

M. VINTSOHGER. RAIL FITTING.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4,1904.

w vtmeooeo part of the railing.

UNITED STATES Patented April 25, 1905r PATENT OFFICE.

MAX VINTSOHGER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO JOHN SIMMONS COMPANY, OF NEW. YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEWV YORK.

RAIL-FITTING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,442, dated April 25, 1905.

' Application filed November 4, 1904. Serial No. 231,354.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MAX VINTSCHGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Rail-Fittings,fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to certain improvements in rail-fittings.

in certain constructions embodying rails it is desirable to attach fittings to the rails at varying distances, the fittings being provided with devices for holding them in position on the rail. Thus, for instance, in building railings or guards on elevated railroad structures it is customary to set out posts at varying distances apart, the specific location of the post depending upon the position of the cross-piece to which it is desired to attach the rails. These posts are supplied-with fittings, and after a number of posts have been erected the pipe which is to form the railing is passed through the fittings and the locking devices operate to hold the pipe in position.

The present invention has for its object to produce an improved fitting which will be simple and therefore cheap in construction and which will be effective in its operation.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a part of a railing supplied with fittings embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section through one of the fittings, showing a part of a rail in position. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the locking-key employed.

A rail-fitting constructed in accordance with the invention will embody a sleeve or other similar tubular support through which the rail passes, a sleeve of proper construction being indicated at 1. 1n the preferred construction of the fitting the sleeve will be provided with a projection by which the litting is attached, in the particular construe tion shown, to the post-sections forming a In the preferred construction this attaching projection is marked 2 and will be integral with the sleeve. In

the drawings a fitting is shown provided with a single attaching projection, and another fitting is shown which has two attaching projections. The attaching projection 2 is threaded and has connected thereto a postsection 3, consisting, as is usual, of pipe. The section-fitting which is employed for the middle rail of the railing has an attaching projection 4, into which the post 3 is tapped, and an attaching projection 2, which supports another post-section 6, this post-section being stepped in a plate 7, shown as secured to a platform structure 8. After the rails, which are marked 9, have been passed through the sleeves referred to they are locked in position by means of wedge-keys. A preferred construction of these keys is illustrated in Fig. 3, the key being marked 10. As shown, the key is provided with a wedge surface 11, having a downwardly-bent and forwardly-extending extension or stem 12, the stem being threaded, as at 13. When a key of this particular construction is employed, the attaching projection 2 will be provided with a slot 14, in which the body portion of the key is located, said slot extending-up through the lower wall of the sleeve, so that the upper surface 15 of the key bears against the under side of the rail 9 when the parts are in looking position. In the particular construction shown the attaching projection 2 is provided with a perforation 16, through which the threaded stem passes, a nut 17 being provided to hold the parts in locking position.

When it is desired to erect a railing, the workman sets up a series of posts like that shown in Fig. 1, the fittings being thus placed in position. The locking-keys are slid back, so that their ends abut against the part of the sleeve marked 18, which part constitutes the end of the slot 14:. After a number of posts have been inserted a length of pipe is passed through the fittings. The workman then sets the wedges in locking position in any convenient manner-as, for instance, by driving the bases of the wedges with a hammer. After the wedges have been thus set in position they can be locked by adjusting the nuts 17 The fittings can be very cheaply constructed, no fine constructions or adjustments being necessary, and they have the further advantage that they may be shipped as a unit without danger of losing the keys. In other words, the fittings may be assembled in the factory, the keys being placed in position, and they cannot be taken out of the fittings without removing the nuts.

WVhile the fitting has been shown in connection with a railing for the purpose of illustrating the invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of use in many other relations.

What is claimed is 1. In a rail-fitting, the combination with a sleeve through which the rail passes, of a wedge-locking key having a stem, the stem being provided with means for holding the key in position, substantially as described.

2. In a rail-fitting, the combination with a sleeve through which the rail passes,said sleeve having an attaching projection, of a wedgelocking key mounted in the projection, said key being provided with means for retaining it in locking position, substantially as described.

3. In a rail-fitting, the combination with a sleeve through which the rail passes,said sleeve having an attaching projection which is provided with a slot, said slot extending through the wall of the sleeve, of a wedge-locking key mounted in the slot and having a stem which extends through the projection, and means for locking the stem in position, substantially as described.

4. In a rail-fitting, the combination with a sleeve through which the rail passes,said sleeve having an attaching projection which is provided with a slot, said slot extending through the sleeve-wall, of a wedge-locking key mounted in the slot, and means for retaining the key in position in the projection before the rail is inserted in the sleeve, substantially as described.

5. In a rail-fitting, the combination with a sleeve through which therail passes,said sleeve having an attaching projection which is provided with a slot, said slot extending through the sleeve-wall, of a wedge-locking key havinga bent threaded stem mounted in the slot, the base of the key being exposed for driving purposes, and the threaded stem extending through a perforation in the opposite wall of the attaching projection, and a nut for holding the key in position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MAX Vl NTSC HGER.

Witnesses:

HENRY IVIAURER, J r., SYLVESTER A. HAVER. 

